Impassive
/ɪmˈpæsɪv/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Impassive describes a person or face that does not show any feelings like happiness, sadness, anger, or surprise. It means staying calm and not letting emotions appear outside. People may be impassive when they want to hide their feelings or stay serious.
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See It in Action
Showing no emotion or expression on the face
- •Her impassive face gave no clue about what she was thinking.
- •The judge remained impassive during the entire trial.
- •He answered the question with an impassive tone.
Not showing feelings in behavior or reaction
- •Despite the bad news, she was impassive and did not cry.
- •The soldier was trained to stay impassive under pressure.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "impassive" like "calm," but even more still—no smile, no frown, no change in expression
- ✓Picture a statue or a mask that does not move or show any feelings on its face
- ✓It's the feeling when you watch something surprising but keep your face the same, without any reaction
- ✓Sounds like "im-PASS-ive" → imagine someone passing by without stopping or reacting to anything, very still and quiet
- ✓Think of a poker player who keeps a straight face so others cannot guess their cards
- ✓NOT like "happy" or "sad," which show clear feelings; "impassive" is no visible emotion at all
- ✓NOT like "calm" (which can still show small feelings), "impassive" means no sign of emotion anywhere
- ✓NOT like "angry" or "excited," it is the opposite—no emotion shown
Try Other Words
- •Emotionless: showing no feelings at all (Use when emphasizing the lack of any emotion inside or outside)
- •Stoic: not showing pain or emotion, especially in hard situations (Use when someone controls feelings strongly)
- •Neutral: not showing any strong feeling or opinion (Use when someone wants to stay in the middle, not showing sides)
- •Blank: empty or without expression (Use when the face looks empty, like no thoughts or feelings)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "im-" (not) + root "passive" (accepting or not showing reaction)
- •Etymology: From Latin "impassivus," meaning "not feeling pain or emotion"
- •Historical development: Originally used to describe someone who does not feel pain or suffering; later used for lack of visible emotion
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe people, faces, or behavior that show no emotion or reaction in everyday and formal language
Reflect & Connect
•When might it be good or bad to be impassive in real life? Can you think of situations where showing no emotion helps or hurts?
•How do you think people feel inside when they appear impassive? Can someone be impassive outside but emotional inside?
Fill in the blanks
1.She stayed impassive even though she was ___ by the surprising news.
2.An impassive face usually does not ___ any feelings or thoughts.
3.Unlike a smile or frown, an impassive expression ___ show what a person feels.
4.The actor practiced staying impassive to ___ strong emotions during the scene.
5.He remained impassive ___ the criticism, showing no reaction.
6.To win the game, players often need to keep an impassive ___ to hide their plans.
7.When someone is impassive, we can ___ that they are controlling their feelings carefully.